My Sweetest Sorrows
by Queen of Chestnuts
Summary: In Muto's world, little makes sense. He does things without meaning to, or knowing why they upset people. Three people mold Muto's future in ways both subtle and not-so much, in methods ranging from love to unbridled hatred. T now, maybe M later.
1. Cabbage

I'm still alive, believe it or not. I haven't been on the website in a while. Inspiration hit for this a while back, and this is the longest chapter I've yet to post on here. For those of you that know Chained Dove's Gravitation fan fiction, well… I really admire it, and I hope that maybe this will be as enjoyable for you all to read as it was for me to read Shooting Stars. I'm trying to utilize thesaurus more in my roleplays and stories. Maybe it will show. Please, feel free to comment, critique and criticize. Not flame, but something to help better me as a writer. I would appreciate it greatly.

I own none of these characters, except maybe those I may invent for this story in the future. But, I think I'm going to stick with canon characters for this. And, I don't like the spelling of Mytho's name, so I went with the spelling I originally though it was spelled with, and that sounds more phonetically correct.

And I'll fix the bold problem. I don't know why all my text is automatically bolded when I put up a story.

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I look outside the dormitory windows to see it's snowing outside. There's already quite a pile up. Maybe classes will be cancelled today. I'm sure there's at least three feet. The snow drift is pretty quiet, and there's nobody outside. Why not? The snow is so beautiful. My dorm mate was kind enough to leave Ave Maria playing on the gramophone. He's very nice to me, or at least compared to how he treats others, like Miss Duck and Miss Rue. I wonder why… it seems like he doesn't like or trust people at all. Perhaps he was hurt by someone he cared for? I don't really know. I probably never will. Beethoven comes to a sketchy stop, and the only sound I hear for a few long minutes is the wind, which finds its way into these old dormitory buildings through the ever-increasing cracks in the walls. Are the girls' dormitories the same way? I'll ask Miss Duck or Miss Rue when I next see them. It comes to my mind that records have music on both sides, so I stand from my place by the window. A blanket falls from my shoulders. Had my roommate Fakir placed it upon me? I can't remember. He might have, though. I imagine it going thusly:

I'm sitting at the window while Fakir is showering down the hall. I was probably watching the snow then as well. When Fakir walks in, he's just pulling on his undershirt (my mind pauses a moment to think about how attractive Fakir's body is) and he sees me only in the pajamas I wore the night before. He presumably says something such as "Damn it, you're weak enough as it is. Get away from the window, idiot." But since I'm so empty-headed, I don't normally understand why he's swearing at me. Eventually Fakir angrily leaves, grumbling about how he has to do this, that and the other, but he doesn't leave me alone without this blanket around me.

That's how I imagine it, anyways. My legs carry my weight to the record player, where I lifted the needle, flip the record, put the needle back down and wind it up. I've come to the conclusion that this entire record must be Beethoven, because now the Moonlight Sonata is playing. Here at my school, we are all well rehearsed in classical music and dance. Each room has a long barre in it, and ours is no exception. I walk towards it, taking a hold of the wood and going through the exercises which we are to go through every single day. It strengthens and tones our ankles, legs and a little of our stomachs as well. My own stomach is perfectly flat. Naturally, we have to work on our other muscles as well, so we don't drop a ballerina mid fish dive during a performance. I can't see such a situation reflecting well upon the school. The faculty here is very proud of its reputation.

After all, we are supposed to be the greatest dancers this entire country has to offer. Our country is a relatively peaceful one; the scars of war mar neither our land nor our people, save for those who came from the outside. Here is a sanctuary for the artists, the poets, dancers and

creators of the world. The beauty which surrounds our land is seemingly infinite. With our slow shift between seasons, each has time to see and know what each may provide: many beautiful flowers in our cool, sprightly spring; trees that whisper and blanket the skies with myrtle green in the summer; in the autumn, that shade becomes so many different kinds of reds, oranges and sometimes yellow, and it covers the cobblestone pathways of our town; and now, winter, where all the Earth rests beneath the most beautiful glittering frozen quilt.

I'm fond of winter, myself. I enjoy the quietude, and because most aren't at school, away on vacation and seeing their families, I have plenty of time alone. I have the dance rooms to myself, along with the automated piano player, and the gramophone that I've come to love. To think, humankind has become so erudite that it's possible to put music on a round disc of plastic. It's truly remarkable.

Between my time spent alone with my thoughts, the sounds of Beethoven and my solemn, graceful movements, I failed to realize that Fakir had reentered the room. Quietly he joined me at the barre, after a soft mumble of 'idiot' once again. Finally, I heard my voice speak up. It was quiet, but it was there. "Please don't be angry, Fakir." My ears picked up the realization that he had switched the record; Chopin now played another composer whom we both admired. Fakir and I went through our daily exercises together, and again we went through the topic of Miss Rue. He didn't like that she and I were dating. While he often brought Miss Rue up as a person he wouldn't like me to be with, saying things like she was the employee of a brothel, or that she was only interested in me because she could flaunt me to the other girls, I wasn't so sure…

Then again, I wasn't exactly aware of why I had agreed to take her out, either. Quite simply, she had made the first move. She had insisted that I should be with her, and quite adamantly so. So, I'd told Miss Rue yes. It wasn't that Miss Rue was the first girl to ever ask me out; I had found that many girls at the academy (and I think, a few boys as well) quite often gave me those amorous looks that said they fancied me. When my lady caller saw 'the eyes' as she called them, she would most often take my arm or hand, or place a kiss upon my cheek before giving them notice that she and I were together. If Fakir were about, he would take me from her before

they began to verbally clash. Neither would lose their outward visage, but they could become quite nasty with each other. Their language was quite colorful.

"Heeey!" The voice was quite familiar. The voice of a young girl, I think. Both Fakir and I had our calisthenics interrupted. Tiny pebbles that had broken from the pavement of the road were being tossed at our window. "Senior Muto! Senior Muto!" I recall the voice now. It was Miss Duck. My

body left its position, my hand left the barre, and I left Fakir. She stood below, wearing a puffed pink overcoat. Her brightly colored auburn hair was in its proper braid, hanging out over the coat. Khaki pants covered her legs. She was probably cold…

I turned to walk downstairs and invite her in, but Fakir took my arm. "No,Muto."

"But Fakir," I protested "Miss Duck is probably cold outside."

"Then let her be cold. Let her freeze. She needs to understand that she shouldn't be coming anywhere near you." Fakir didn't care much for Miss Duck, either. I couldn't understand why. Neither Miss Duck nor Miss Rue appeared to have any sort of ulterior motives. They didn't want to harm me. At least, I couldn't imagine they did… I had never asked. Maybe it would be best if I did… Fakir often told me that I shouldn't be so trusting of others.

But Miss Duck continued to call for me. Fakir became irritated and let go of my arm. He went towards the window and opened it, letting cold air into the dormitory. It felt nice though; exercising for so long made my body warm. The air filled my lungs and it was easier to breath then.

He spoke in an angry tone to her. He told her to stay away from me. Then, I did something that I likely would regret later on. As Fakir scolded Miss Duck, I left our dorm room. I went down the hallway, quietly crept down the stairs and went outside.

As soon as Fakir came to notice that I was outside in the snow talking to her, and that Miss Duck was no longer fighting with him over me, he got mad.

"Muto, get back up here! You'll catch a cold, idiot!" After all, I was wearing just a plain white tee and loose pants. I wasn't properly dressed for the outside weather. He cursed, upset that I might come down with another illness. I came up bedridden quite often, where Fakir would tend

to me.

I looked up at his angered form up in the window, and I quietly refused. Naturally, it only served to anger him more than he already was. He threatened to not let me back in if I stayed out any longer. I told Fakir that I was going to talk with Miss Duck. My ill-tempered roommate swore once at me and then he closed the window, locked it and closed the curtains.

"Fakir is such a jerk!" Miss Duck exclaimed. "Kicking you out like that. Why do you still bunk up with him?"

I looked to her, and spoke. "Fakir isn't so bad." I had never once thought a negative thing about him (Or anyone else for that matter, but all the same…) It was Fakir that began to take care of me and gave me a place to live when I woke up in this town without any memories of who or where or what I was. I looked a mess then, and it was now that I began considering how uncomely I appeared at this moment, I apologized to Miss Duck. I didn't even have shoes on, so my toes were visible beneath the loose pant legs. "I'm sorry; I didn't think to put anything on my feet before I left…"

Miss Duck looked surprised. "Senior Muto! Aren't you cold?"

Though, really, I had a hard time feeling much of anything. "No, not really…" It was probably for this reason that may of the students at my academy thought me strange. When I slipped and twisted my ankle in an awkward way, or practiced until my feet were calloused, I felt nothing that

Fakir told me was called 'pain'. I didn't understand the concept.

"Qua-" Miss Duck sounded as if she were about to go 'quack' much like the bird her name came from, but then stopped herself. "Uh, um, cabbage!"

"Cabbage?" I didn't understand… Miss Duck nodded, "Yeah, cabbage! Heehee…hee." I still didn't understand. "I need to buy cabbage," She said.

"Oh…" That was all I could muster at that moment. I wonder what could have possibly reminded her that she needed to purchase cabbage. Miss Duck could be quite an oddity. She asked if I would like to come with her, and I agreed to go. Even still, I thought cabbage was an odd thing to mention. We both walked towards the town's open market. Miss Duck stated that they had

the best prices on just about everything we could want. More importantly, the cabbage there was the best.

We followed the cobblestone path there, she in her jacket and I in my weather-inappropriate clothes. The market was quite bare compared to the sun-filled days of summer. There were still vendors sprinkled across the large lot, but they lacked the summer market aura. Now there weren't people so freely seasoning the land; no scents of fish from the local lake, or incenses coming from distant lands. Instead, they all looked as if they just wanted to make enough money to get by for the day, and then head home to fire sand warm stews their wives had carefully prepared with love. I was told by others when they brought me snacks that it had that best ingredient ever. I failed to taste the difference.

Somehow, cabbage could be found. Considering the current weather, I concluded that it was either imported from a country in another hemisphere, or that it was grown in a greenhouse. The merchant's eyes fell upon me while Miss Duck looked at the merchant's wares. I likely looked quite odd. Between hair as white as the surrounding snow, my clothing and my bare feet, I myself was an oddity. He asked me with thick accent why I wasn't wearing my coat, and where my shoes were. I didn't speak. The merchant eyed me as if I were some street urchin without any money to buy myself shoes and a jacket and he somehow came to the conclusion that she and I were a modern day Romeo and Juliet. He gave Miss Duck two heads of cabbage and a few apples before we left the stall.

As we walked back towards the school's property, I heard the crunch of her teeth sinking into the apple. She looked quite pleased. It was here I thought to ask. "Miss Duck, what did you need cabbage for?" She looked down, and her hair fell over her suddenly burning face. "Oh, um, nothing in particular…" Seeing her face red now, I thought she was maybe ill. "Miss Duck?" Fakir told me that there were those like me who got pale when ill, and others who got red when they weren't feeling well. I placed my hand upon her cheek. "Are you not feeling well?" She never failed to surprise me. Miss Duck quickly stepped back, then she tripped over her own feet, and took a tumble backwards. The produce spilled over onto the pathway, and she appeared even more red. I figured perhaps she had a fever. Without a single word, I held out my hand to her, and pulled her up. Then I kneeled down to pick up the items as she brushed snow off of her pants. "I'll walk you to your dormitory." I think I would have felt bad just leaving her there when she might not be in the best of health.

"Oh, Senior Muto… you don't have to do that." Her face was still pink. It was my hope that she would feel better soon.

I understood well enough what she had said. "I know. I want to." As far back as I can remember, that was the first time I had ever said that I wanted anything. Granted, my memories only went back to the day I first met Fakir in this town near two years ago…

Miss Duck smiled happily then, as she often did. Her two arms wrapped around my free right arm, and we walked as Miss Rue and I might towards the more familiar school grounds and surrounding properties. I walked Miss Duck to her dorm, where I was offered leafy cabbage as a thanks. She placed it in my palms and hugged me, then ran inside with her face still red, her voice raised and excited. There was some kind of screaming inside… Quietly I hoped she was going to pull through, turned away and began walking in the opposite direction, across the street to the dormitory for boys. A head of cabbage in my hand.


	2. Juliet

I took the liberty of creating a teacher for the senior class, since it never seems to be covered in the canon. Unless I missed it. So hopefully, it's a believable character, and you'll be okay with her. :3 Fakir's being a jerkface, as he often is. Fanfiction didn't bold everything this time, but instead put random Asian-looking characters into the story that weren't there. If anyone finds them in the story, please tell me so I can remove them. I tried to get them all but I might have missed a couple. I was going to say something else... but I can't remember it. Hrm.

I remembered, I was going to stay that classical music helps me keep to the overall feel of Princesss Tutu. I was going roar a few days ago when I found out we can't even listen to classical here in the library. Anyways.

Ah well, Muto is cute and I hope you enjoy it. 3

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"Fakir, please let me in." I had gotten into the dormitory well enough, but Fakir had locked the door to our room from the inside. I suppose I should have taken a key, but my brain failed to consider doing so until long afterward. My mind was rather flat and one dimensional, much like a closed-minded child. Naturally, Fakir wouldn't let me in so quickly. Whenever I acted rashly as I just had, my dorm mate would take it upon himself to appropriately punish me. He never did so physically.

"Fakir, please?" I looked down to feet, mine, which were wet from the melting snow. Without another word, I sat down on the opposite wall, cabbage at my side, like an obedient pet. I glanced at it, and thought of Miss Duck as strange: Her fiery hair, her overall sprite-like personality, and her clear, unhidden dislike of Fakir. Occasionally Miss Duck and Miss Rue would have a small skirmish. When they did, though, expletives didn't season her speech so liberally as with Fakir. She had an image to retain. Many younger girls looked up to her, and while Fakir starting a small-time rumor wouldn't damage her reputation, a few chatty girls could spread gossip faster than a hurricane.

I fell into a light sleep against the wall, curled up there. Fakir came out of our room, took one look at my gently shivering form. He called my name, and I opened my eyes.

"What is it, Fakir?" I'd stood up, retrieving my gift as well. His eyes fell upon it instead. "What is that?" I told him that Miss Duck had given it to me, and then he took it. I was told to go take a warm bath, so I did just that.

Winter hours for school was the same as they were the rest of the year, so after I was bathed, Fakir and I donned our academy uniforms.

"Miss Duck was up early, wasn't she?" She was famous for being the air headed, constantly tardy student. Mr. Cat likely made his most favored threat of marriage to her frequently. How auspicious for her that her two good friends could lie on command to form a good excuse for her actions (or inaction, as the case was sometimes.)

Fakir's only response was a look of anger and a grumbled agreement. He was still in an inhospitable mood, so I didn't speak the rest of the way to our academy.

Fakir left me once were we there so that he could attend to some matters. I sat upon the bench I most often did when he went elsewhere before classes in the morning. As per usual, I became lost in my thoughts of my environment and the people I spoke to often. There was my roommate, Fakir, whom everyone thought badly of; Miss Rue, whom Fakir had an intense dislike for, and whom many girls in the school thought of as beautiful and without flaws; and Miss Duck - socially awkward, clumsy Miss Duck. I was quite unaware while I thought about these three. Why did they choose to be near me, and what impact was there on both my lives and theirs?

"Muto…" Why? Why were they in my life?  
"Muto." Why had they chosen this town?  
"Muto!" I came to. Standing before me was my companion, Rue. Her brown, wavy hair fell down her back. She was normally quite patient with my long trains of thought, and would gently pull me from them instead of becoming irate. What was different today?  
"You're going to walk me to class today, Muto." I nodded quietly and stood up to walk Miss Rue to hr class. "Yes, Rue." She glided her arms around my right one, and we began to walk.

She spoke after moments of quite, discomforting silence.  
"So, I saw you with Duck this morning. Why were you with her, Muto? Tell me." A single blink was my reaction. "Where did you see us together?" She didn't like my answering a question by another question, but I was curious.

"I was at the café." early this morning to eat my breakfast. You and she walked by. She was wearing a pink jacket, and you were in your pajamas, or something. Were you cold?"

I shook my head, since I hadn't really felt cold. "Miss Duck wanted to go buy cabbage. I went with her."

"My¦ I bet Fakir was angry." I nodded in agreement, knowing Fakir hadn't been pleased with my actions. Finding me with Miss Rue now probably would have only served to make Fakir more so. Then, there would be the stinging comments they would say to each other, and I would be torn between the two, much like a doll fought over between two children.

Then she stopped walking, and I in turn. She looked at me with those dark eyes. "I want you to stay away from that girl, Muto. She's no good for you. I think Duck has something for you that she shouldn't, and it's going to hurt you in the end. I don't want you to get hurt."

I spoke softly. "I'll be alright, Rue."

Her facial expression tensed. "Muto, I'm telling you to stay away from her. Duck is going to hurt you if you keep speaking to her and there's Fakir, who's been hurting you all along. You shouldn't be hurt that way. Only I can protect you, honey."

I think I've heard those lines from Fakir before. Sans the part about honey, but the part about protecting me, he's said. I don't know what exactly they're supposed to be protecting me from. If they all want to protect me, why can't they get along? Working for a common goal, isn't that what people are taught for years to do? Miss Duck was a big advocate of teamwork. Fakir and Miss Rue weren't so much. I wonder if it had to do with the fact that the three of us were much older than Miss Duck. I told Rue the same thing I told her earlier. He had taken care of me for a very long time, when I was alone with no place to stay,  
without any memories or money.

Miss Rue couldn't understand my logic. She only sighed once, and then kissed my cheek. "You're such a child, Muto. Let's have our lunch together later." I agreed to meet her at the fountain at noon. With another single kiss upon my cheek, she went into her class.

I turned to walk towards my previous area, and Fakir came up behind me.

"You're such a wretch, Muto. I'm amazed you haven't been ripped apart by beggars yet."

Without any argument, or even a sound, I permit Fakir too pull painfully n my arm to our own ballet classes. In the changing room, Fakir pushed me against the wall before telling me to hurry up. I pulled my clean dance shirt on, and followed. Once again, we went through our exercises.

"One and two and three and four and one and two and three and four!" Our teacher was an oversized spider of the black widow variety. She saw Fakir and I quietly taking our spots in the line-up, and the run-through came to a stop. Attention was called to the two of us. She glided over on all eight of her legs.

"You're late, boys. The underclassmen look up to you. What if they knew you came in late this way?" Madame Widow was quite strict. My own gaze was soft, awaiting punishment of some sort while Fakir kept full eye contact. She told us that we were to be the start students of our school in all areas. As our punishment, we were to each write a four page essay on what made our school so glorified, and why e must adhere to the standards set forth. We would also be required to show up twenty minutes earlier before the rest of the class, being made to practice even more than we did now. Madame Widow expected the best of our class.

It appeared that Fakir was let loose after that, but not I. "Muto, what if that lovely young lady I see you with so often - what would she think if you were late to a date with her?"

Fakir came to my defense, since I was too out there to understand fully the gravity of my situation. "Madame Widow, Rue is the reason that Muto and I are late. She wanted Muto to walk her to class."

Our instructor calmed slightly. "Ah, what I wouldn't give to be young and in love again." For a minute or two, she recounted tales of her own youth and assorted flames, before Fakir pointed out not so politely that she was rambling.

She apologized quickly, and we got back to work, Madame Widow keeping us in a perfected rhythm with her numbers. Beyond that, Fakir and I had classes that were quite uneventful.

While Fakir was intensely displeased that I was leaving him at lunchtime, he didn't want to cause another scene for today. We'd already gotten many looks because of his habit to raise his voice quickly while angry with me. He permitted me to go to lunch with Miss Rue at the fountain that divided our dormitory buildings.

It was rather enjoyable. Rue had brought lunch for the two of us: a small picnic just for her and I. It was simple as far as meals went, but it still had a fair amount of flavor.

"Did you make this, Rue?"

She didn't answer, which was fair enough. We ate in a silent peace, Rue watching me as I partook of her meal.

A little piece of it remained on my cheek when I was done. Miss Rue leaned over and brushed it off. "Oh, thank you, Rue."

She pulled back with a small nod, and then stood. She stood upon her toes, and held out one hand. "Dance with me, Muto." I placed her things back in her basket, and then we danced. She began to dance the introduction to a pas de deux, and I naturally fell into step with her so that we could dance together. As the seniors of the school, and as the dance team of the highest caliber, we drew attention from some of the younger students, and a few of those our own age. Miss Duck was in the crowd as well, watching with those familiar bright blue eyes. I could also see Fakir in the audience, with that same cool, dark eyes he always had. Fakir stayed quiet while the others in the crowd clapped. There was a perfect blend of music, art and dance students. There seemed to be a division among all the different classes, so it was an auspicious moment when all could be together.

The beginner's class teacher, his tail swishing about in approval, but he broke up the crowd, and us. When the students scattered, Fakir took my arm.

"Come on, before you draw anymore attention."

I turned my head back once to see Miss Rue looking at Fakir in an acidic and spiteful way.

My last words spoken to her for some time would be "Goodbye, Rue."


	3. The Two Princesses

I swear, gar! This website needs to stop bolding, italicizing and underlining every story after I upload them. Plus, the wierd formatting is a pain. *grumble grumble...* Anyways! Here's the third chapter: The Two Princesses. Sorry for disappearing, all. High school finals and whatnot. They make for a stressed out Chestnut queen. ): But I'm back, and summer vacation is on. Graduation ceremony is in...exactly one week. My family and all will be around, but I'll sneak some time in to type up stories. Reviews are appreciated.

Also, I realized there were some typographical errors in the second chapter, which I'll go fix. If you notice any, please let me know.

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As punishment for the scene I had caused, I was to practice until I became so tired that I fell down. Fakir took me to one of the dance rooms, and told me to begin. I turned and twirled and leapt through the air, and then was told to do it once more. When Fakir had a punishment for me, he wouldn't let me do anything else until it was properly carried out. I stood at the top of my toes and turned, and turned, and turned again, forced to catch and imaginary dancer at my side and aid her in an arabesque pirouette. Fakir watched from the corner as darkness began to settle in while I went through the routine. His anger had subsided somewhat; I could see it in his eyes that shimmered under the moonlight. Outside the window, I could see the younger student, Miss Duck, peeking through. I thought more than once to go over, open the window and speak with her, but I didn't want to upset or anger Fakir anymore than I already had today.

As the moon glided higher into the sky, and my feet had still yet to bleed, Fakir muttered under his breath something about getting dinner for the both of us before the school's dining hall closed for the night. At his order, I continued to practice, even when he left the room. Miss Duck only waited for a few moments before she joined me in the room. I asked if she was feeling any better. She didn't realize what I was talking about but then understood and nodded. She thanked me for taking her back to her dormitory, and said I was sweet.

I nodded softly and continued. Miss Duck asked me why I was dancing, saying that my pirouettes were perfect as they were. I would disagree with her on that; she only saw the difference in skill level between her younger class and the older students such as Fakir and I. I didn't say anything about that though. Instead, I told her that it was my punishment for dancing with Miss Rue earlier in the day, citing how it had angered Fakir. Her cheeks got big and puffed up with air at this.

"Fakir is a stupid jerk! How come you let him control you so much, Muto?"

Control? I couldn't understand. "What do you mean? He doesn't control me, Miss Duck…. He takes care of me."At this point she was stamping about much more like an angry four legged animal than an angry human named after a two legged water fowl.

"Well, he's certainly trying to. You get in trouble for everything! He doesn't let you read books that you want to read, he doesn't let you hang out with Miss Rue or me or anybody that you want to. He only lets you really talk to him, and he treats you like you're some…some…thing!" She continued on her tirade for a few minutes while I kept dancing, and then it was broken.

She was going to say more about the way my caretaker treated me, but I fell to the floor, a pirouette broken halfway through. I couldn't turn anymore; My legs had given out. I suppose this is where most people would say they were 'tired'.

"Senior Muto?" Miss Duck's voice was full of energy and concern. "Are you okay?"

A pale gray now tinted the wooden floors in one of our school's many dance studios. I watched her quietly as she looked down at me. I suppose now I could stop dancing, since Fakir said it was only until I couldn't do it anymore.

"Senior Muto?" She kneeled by me, placing a hand upon my shoulder. Her blue eyes glittered with what I think Fakir explained to me as 'worry'.

Then, I saw something that looked quite strange to me. It was a ghost, or something akin to it - I could see through him, but not perfectly… not through his red body. He looked quite drained of energy. And then I realized, he and I were one in the same.

Only moments after this apparition appeared, Miss Duck had vanished from this room. I thought a moment about where she might have gone, but then my crimson self approached, took my face in his hands with his face close to mine. His voice and mine were the same, yet different.

Tired eyes met with mine before asking if I was as tired as he was, commenting about how I had fallen. I could only say no, since I couldn't really feel it. My many months of practice, blended perfectly with my lack of feelings to keep me from understanding that same exhaustion that he did. He kept holding my face, trying to get my attention.

By the mirror, there was movement; someone stood and I glanced in that direction. A female with a white dress, a length of cherry blossom pink beneath it; appropriate only for a ballet dance. Her hair was reddish orange and in a bun, with a red-jeweled golden necklace about her neck. She stepped gracefully forward to me, or rather, the colored version of myself.

Holding out a slender hand, she asked him to dance. "Before you rest, won't you please allow me one last dance?" He refused her, again stating his exhaustion. It was only a few leaps before she was across the floor, near us. Since he had refused her, she asked me to dance with her instead. I didn't understand, but I obliged all the same. Soon enough, a two person rendition of Tchaikovsky's famous dance in Swan Lake was being performed between her and I.

I asked her who she was, and why she appeared so familiar to me. She introduced herself as Princess Tutu, but remained silent when it came to my latter question. I didn't give her any difficulties concerning it, though.

This princess was graceful and clear in her movements; perhaps she was a senior student here at the academy. If she wasn't a senior, then at very least she was an exceptionally skilled, whatever grade she might have been.

She spoke of her love of dancing, stating that when she danced, she felt the closest she ever had to being whole.

As we danced and spoke quietly, I failed to think about the phantasm that had been in the room with us. It was a few moments before I thought to look for the spirit. In the last moments of our dance, I saw him watching the both of us. He still looked exhausted, and yet he also looked as if we had

piqued his interest. "I…I want to dance like that. How do you not wear yourself out?"

Princess Tutu released my hand, and tiptoed soundlessly towards him.

"You'll be just fine if you rest for a while. It's a cycle – You put all of your heart and soul into learning how to do something that you really want to do. And then you're tired, but you want to show the world what you've been able to accomplish. Before you show them all, you might get nervous, and wonder if you've put enough of your time and efforts into learning how to do it… and then, the moment when you show the world everything that you can do… you feel incredible inside. You need to go where you belong, and where you can express yourself and your feeling. Please, won't you let me return you to your proper place? You'll be tired for a while, but you'll get to feel more of what you just saw between Muto and I."

I watched as the phantom shifted into a compact glow in the ballerina's hands. She turned back to me with a smile, and began to shift her weight back towards my direction. "Muto," She spoke. "These are the feelings of tiredness and exhaustion. You feel them after you've worked very hard for something. Your body and mind might not like them, but they're very important. It means you've tried hard to accomplish something. Without them, you won't be able to feel as energetic and happy, or that your work will mean something one day. Please, won't you take them back?"

It appeared that she was leaning forward to hand the pulsing Venetian red to me. Before she could, the night had turned even stranger still. Windows blew open, and a black shadow stole that emotion known as tiredness. As the whirlwind slowed, I saw another woman with dark brown hair, a sleeveless short dress of Onyx feathers and deep red ballet shoes.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but Muto won't be getting his feelings back. Now, or ever again for that matter."

I tried to comprehend what they were talking about, but I couldn't understand it. The lighter-clothed princess demanded a name for the older woman dressed in the dark plumage. She called herself the maiden of the raven: Princess Kraehe. The black shadow flew to her extended hand, and dropped glowing red from its talons into her palm. Her burgundy painted lips smiled at this.

"Muto, you can never have your feelings back." She explained to me. I tilted my head gently. "My…feelings?"

She did only one jump akin to a gazelle's before she was near me. "Yes, my prince. But you don't remember at all, do you?" She placed her lips on the back of my palm that she held now.

A rock that appeared to come from nowhere separated the gothic princess and I. I thought perhaps it was the former princess, Princess Tutu, but she

appeared surprised, with wide eyes and an open mouth. The person who threw the rock was not her, but was in fact someone who hadn't been in the room before now: Fakir.

"Get out! Leave Muto, and don't you ever bring up his emotions again." He looked at Tutu. "You go, too. I don't want you or her or anyone else messing with Muto. Emotions will only lead to problems."

Princess Tutu stepped back. "But he would be so much better off to know how it was to live and truly feel what he was feeling." Fakir went over, ready to hit her. Princess Kraehe, as she had introduced herself, had become one with a mass of dark ravens that flew out the same window she had come in.

Fakir told the small girl to leave, and to not come near me again. She looked drained of all of her previous energy, a sad and sullen child once more. While she did so gracefully, she had still run out of the room crying.

"Fakir…" All logic I once knew had flown out the window along with the dark princess.

He impatiently walked towards the window, closing them and locking them up.

I could see he still had more stones on his person, tucked away safely in his jacket.

"Dinner's off. I had some but when I saw those two from the window with you, I dropped it to come help you save your stupid self."

"Who was that, Fakir? I don't know them…"

Latching the window lock, he met my eyes with a cold dagger-like look. He didn't want to talk about them, it seemed, but I wanted to know.

"Please tell me, Fakir. I want to know."

The single word of 'no' was his answer.

I continued to ask him about it anyways, even as we walked to our dormitory shortly afterward. Despite my continuous bringing up of those two princesses in our conversations after that night, the days tallied up into a week and Fakir had still yet to answer my question, and I learned not to ask him about the two women after that, when he hit me across the face, telling me to shut up. I fell quite that moment, apologizing for my behavior. He mumbled unintelligible things about me for a few minutes after that, while we sat near the fountain in the front lawn of our school.

"I'm sorry, Fakir…"

Fakir looked up into my eyes for a moment, and did something most people at our school would find surprising. I felt his hand atop of my head.

He told me he'd take me to the town's library at lunch.

While he still insisted upon picking out the books I would read, it was the first time he would let me go with him. Sometimes I snuck there by myself, but he normally found me before I signed out anything under my name.

I found myself feeling light for the rest of the day, which appeared to make Madame Widow quite pleased. She spoke with Mister Cat for a while, asking if he had seen me with Miss Rue at all today.

Of course, I hadn't seen her all week now. Or Miss Duck, for that matter.


End file.
